Injuries & Moves: Battenfield up for bullpen depth

September 22nd, 2023

LATEST NEWS

Sept. 22: RHP Peyton Battenfield recalled from Triple-A Syracuse; RHP Jeff Brigham optioned
Seeking bullpen depth to ease the strain on other pitchers, the Mets on Friday recalled Battenfield, whom they had claimed off waivers from the Guardians earlier this month. Battenfield had started two games at Syracuse, allowing six runs in nine innings. He will be a relief option for the Mets.

INJURY UPDATES

10- and 15-day IL

OF Starling Marte (right groin strain)
Expected return: Final week of season
Marte played in a simulated game Sept. 19 in Port St. Lucie, Fla., marking his most significant progress yet in his bid to return to the field. The initial plan was for Marte to go on a brief rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Sept. 23-24, but rain could interfere with that. In either event, Marte is scheduled to play in a simulated game at Citi Field on Sept. 26.

If all goes well, Marte should return to play in at least a portion of the Mets' final homestand that ends Oct. 1.

All told, Marte will have missed more than seven weeks due to a groin strain that threatened to knock him out for the season. He has been feeling good of late, however, and he remains hopeful that he will be able to return without issue. If he can, that will heighten the chance that he will be able to avoid another groin surgery this offseason. (Last updated: Sept. 22)

RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right lat strain)
Expected return: 2024
Diagnosed with a lat strain following a Sept. 11 outing against the D-backs, Reid-Foley is unlikely to return this season. He will go into the offseason on the Mets' 40-man roster, but it remains to be seen if the team will tender him a contract to stick around next year. (Last updated: Sept. 12)

RHP Carlos Carrasco (fractured right pinkie finger)
Expected return: 2024
The Mets lost Carrasco for the season when he dropped a 50-pound dumbbell on his finger while working out in the Citi Field weight room on Sept. 3. The injury carries a four to six week recovery timetable, which will take Carrasco into the offseason. A free agent after the season, Carrasco has likely already thrown his final pitch as a Met. He declined comment when asked about his injury and future. (Last updated: Sept. 12)

60-day IL

RHP Edwin Díaz (torn right patellar tendon)
Expected return: 2024
Díaz will not pitch this season, but he continues to throw bullpen sessions and is traveling with the team on road trips so that pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and the training staff can watch him progress. Had the Mets been in playoff contention, they likely would have activated Díaz for the stretch run. But with the team well outside of postseason position, there is no reason for it to take that risk.

The All-Star closer suffered a complete right patellar tendon tear during Team Puerto Rico's victory celebration after advancing past the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic on March 16. He underwent surgery to repair the tendon the following afternoon in Florida. The typical timetable for return from such an injury is around eight months -- a mark that Díaz will not reach until mid-November. (Last updated: Sept. 18)

RHP (recovery from right elbow surgery)
Expected return: 2024
Curtiss will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on Aug. 22 to remove a loose body from his right elbow. The reliever is expected to be back at full strength in time for Opening Day 2024. (Last updated: Aug. 22)

LHP (right oblique strain)
Expected return: 2024
Walker's big league season ended on Aug. 17, when the Mets transferred him to the 60-day IL. That eliminated any chance of the left-hander returning, though he could still make rehab appearances in the Minors if he recovers in time to do so.

Walker last pitched in an Aug. 12 doubleheader against the Braves, allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career, throwing just 61 1/3 innings over the past two seasons combined. (Last updated: Aug. 21)

RHP Elieser Hernández (right pec strain)
Expected return: Possibly September
Hernández, who missed much of the early part of the season due to a right shoulder strain, has endured several setbacks in his rehab -- most recently a pec strain suffered in late July.

On Aug. 13, the Mets transferred Hernández to the 60-day IL. This appears to be a mostly lost season for Hernández, an offseason trade acquisition who is running out of time to make his Mets debut. (Last updated: Aug. 13)

RHP (recovery from Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2024
The outlook steadily deteriorated for Montes de Oca after he departed a March 12 Grapefruit League game due to right forearm discomfort. Initially diagnosed with a stress reaction in his elbow, Montes de Oca consented to surgery two weeks later to remove loose bodies from the joint.

During that operation, surgeons determined that Montes de Oca's UCL was unstable and required reconstruction. The resulting Tommy John operation and recovery will cost Montes de Oca the entire 2023 season, and potentially part of '24. (Last updated: April 4)